Believe it or not, the Subaru team hasn't won a WRC rally since back in 2005. So obviously, team drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson are very much looking forward to the potential of a new car. Said to already be faster than the existing WRC2007, the new WRC2008, as it's called, certainly stirs hope for Subaru fanboys the world over. The first challenge it faces will be the Acropolis Rally of Greece, a notoriously brutal course which will be quite the proving grounds for the rally wagon. Though if they ever decide to make a version with rear seats, we'll be the first to strap ourselves in for a ride-along. We even promise not to ask if we're there yet.
[WRC via autoblog]

"I watched the WRC Mexico highlights last night and I have to voice my opinion on the poor appearance of Sebastien Loeb on WRC-TV," wrote Surinder Thatti, Chairman of the Confederation Of African Countries in Motorsport. ""He was unshaven, scruffy looking and with unkempt hair!! It is wrong...when the FIA gives him global TV coverage to millions of viewers and to many children worldwide he is a hero and role model...I know there is a level of personal freedom one is allowed but I feel he is taking this too far and someone should talk to him or his team about this."

"Yes I watched the same as you did...Unfortunately it is not a problem that is unique to our sport as the same happens in football and other "male" sports," Chandler wrote in response. "My only solution is that we suggest to ISC that the camera does not cover them close up."

We're just glad FIA can't see us in our bedrooms office. (h/t Placebo, who is scruffy in a good way) [via AutoSport]

[YouTube]

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
What: 2007 National Championship Runoffs
Where: Heartland Park, Topeka, KS
When: Qualifying Oct. 8-11; race Oct. 12-14
http://www.scca.org

Nearly 700 drivers compete every year for National Championship medals in 25 different classes at the Pinnacle of American Motorsports. Pole positions were finalized on Thursday after three days of qualifying, with new pole sitters in nearly half of the categories. Some of the drivers who scored their maiden pole position include Jason Von Kluge in a Ford Mustang in the A sedan class, Andrew Aquilante in a Chevrolet Corvette in the Touring 1 class, Wayland Joe in a Porsche GT-3 in the GT-2 class, and John Black in a Nissan 350Z in the GT-3 class.

World Rally Championship (WRC)
What: Rallye de France - Tour de Corse
Where: Ajaccio, Corsica
October 12-14, 2007
http://www.rallyedefrance.com

Nicknamed "the rally of 10,000 corners," this course through the mountains on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has been widened this year for improved safety and speed. But the road is still plenty rocky and dirty, which makes for very little grip. Only four non-French drivers have won this race over a span of 20 years. Tough price to pay for hanging out on a beautiful island in the middle of azure blue waters. We're so jealous.

NASCAR Nextel Cup
What: Bank of America 500
Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
When: Oct. 13
http://www.nascar.com/series/cup

A rare Saturday night race awaits NASCAR fans at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. And thankfully, LMS has a specially designated "non-alcohol family section" so fans can bring the kids without worrying about being hit in the head by flying beer cans. Ryan Newman took pole position during qualifying on Thursday with a top speed of 189.394 miles per hour. Jimmie Johnson, who was previously leading the series but dropped to second after Jeff Gordon's win last week, will fill out the front row.

NASCAR Busch Series
What: Dollar General 300
Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
When: Oct. 12
http://www.nascar.com/series/bg

More than 20 NEXTEL Cup drivers will drive in this series, although some of us still can't quite grasp the rationale behind the same drivers participating in two series.

NHRA
What: NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion
Where: Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA
When: Oct. 12-14
http://museum.nhra.com/chrr.asp?Year=2007

This massive gathering of NHRA members and fans will feature exhibition runs and elimination rounds in eleven categories including Nostalgia Top Fuel, Nostalgia Funny Car, and NE1. Exhibition cars must be in a style that is at least 30 years old; newer cars such as Super Gas with old-style bodies ("T", Bantam, Willys, etc.) are, according to the NHRA, "not considered to be in the spirit of the reunion." We'll be at the event to bring you the latest updates.

Press Release:

Press Release

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced that their new-generation high-performance 4WD sedan, the Lancer Evolution X (10) is to be used as the course cars for the Japanese round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Rally Japan is also the 6th round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) and will run in Tokachi, Hokkaido from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th October 2007.

As official the Course cars for Rally Japan, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X will be the vehicles that run though the route and all the demanding stages of the event ahead of the competitors to check track conditions making sure that everything is ready for the 14th round of the WRC. The Course cars, often referred to as the 'Double Zero' and 'Zero' cars, travel through the course before the competing vehicles, 30-minutes for the Double Zero car and 15-minutes for the Zero car.

The Lancer Evolution X will run on Rally Japan in Group N specification and include various new features that have been developed in close collaboration between the Motor Sport Division / Technical Development Department of Mitsubishi Motors and Ralliart Inc.
Included in these new developments is the integrated of the roll cage into the body of the car with extensive reinforcements resulting in the cars strength and stiffness being drastically upgraded from the normal road-going version. Purpose-built components have been used for the running gear and brakes with drive-train components specially developed by Ralliart featuring a constant-mesh close-ratio gearbox.

The exterior of the Lancer Evolution X Group N will use accessories usually found on all high-performance vehicles and familiar to all rally enthusiasts including sump-guard, floor guard with fuel tank protection and mud flaps. In the cockpit additional safety features have been added including five-point safety harnesses for the crew with bucket seats and a competition steering wheel.
As Course cars on Rally Japan, the Mitsubishi Lance Evolution Xs used will have revolving roof lights as well as a siren and loudspeaker to warn the many thousands a of spectators expected on the stages that the competitors will be arriving shortly.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is scheduled to obtain the Group N homologation from the Federation International de L'Automobile (FIA) next summer with the new rally challenger taking part in international rallies during the second half of 2008 or 2009. Registration with the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) will be applied this year, allowing competitors to participate in JAF-sanctioned events with the new-generation Lancer Evolution X.

The development of the official reconnaissance vehicle plays a leading role when it comes to supplying competition parts/components to the customer early on. Also, the participation as course car will allow the automobile manufacturer and the rally specialist to technically verify the potential of rally cars prepared by customers who use these special components. Mitsubishi Motors and Ralliart are fully committed to making maximum use of the know-how and expertise learned through various motor sport activities to support future customers and for the development of the production model.

If you've read Jalopnik for longer than 20 minutes, you just knew we were going to stick a "Killer B" in our Fantasy Garage. And why wouldn't we? Created by the FIA in 1982, Group B offered manufacturers a way to show off all their engineering prowess, achieve racing victories and reap the subsequent publicity windfalls, all without the need and expense of launching a full production model. Very low homologation numbers (200 streetable cars in this case) meant that for a modest investment — especially when compared to Group A with its minimum 5,000 production cars mandate — a company could claim some serious rewards. Group A also had more stringent restrictions in terms of power, weight, materials and overall cost, not to mention a four-seat rule that in essence prohibited mid-engine machines. Group B was essentially unlimited, especially in terms of power.

And we mean unlimited. While engine displacement was strictly categorized, Group B rules failed to specify any limit in terms of boost (insert maniacal cackling here). This proved to be a loophole engineers gleefully exploited with stupefying, almost dumbfounding results. Actual horsepower numbers are murky at best and even downright cryptic. Quoted numbers for the 2.1-liter Ford RS200 for example range anywhere from 550 hp to over 800 hp. Reasons for this secrecy are many and varied. The most commonly cited are that the primitive all-wheel-drive dynamometers weren't up to the job. And because there was no cap on power, manufacturers just didn't care all that much. We would wager however, that teams didn't want the competition to know just how full-on berserk each others' cars were. But here's the skinny: Group B cars could out accelerate F1 cars. 0-60 times of less than three seconds were common – on gravel. Sadly, in the days before computerized traction control, so much unwieldy power proved to be Group B's downfall.

At the start of the 1986 season, the big boys (Audi, Ford, Lancia and Peugeot) were simply (and literally) fire-breathing. And then everything went very wrong. Near Sintra in Portugal, driver Joaquim Santos came out of a gully only to find dozens of fans standing at the peak. His Ford RS200 careered into the crowd, killing three and injuring more than 30. Every team immediately pulled out of the race. Soon after, Lancia's Henri Toivonen inexplicably missed a tight left-hander and plunged into a ditch. The fuel tanks of his Delta S4 ruptured and burst into flames, incinerating him and his co-driver Sergio Cresto. A few more races took place that year, though rife with nationalistic argument (e.g., the Italians said the skirts on the Peugeots were too low). The 1987 season was canceled, and soon after the FIA banned Group B altogether. Notwithstanding the human tragedies, it was is one of the saddest days in the history of sport.

General Group B Radness

In Jeremy Clarkson's most excellent book, I Know You Got Soul, everybody's favorite Thatcherite discusses the Concorde, its crash in Paris and subsequent decommissioning. He quips, "for the first time since the Titanic we were actually mourning the loss of the machine itself." Jezza actually flew aboard the very last Concorde flight. As he walked off the plane in London he thought to himself, "This is one small step for a man. But a giant leap backwards for mankind." This also happens to be true of the Killer Bs. Group B was essentially a sanctioned hoon division. Unlimited forced-induction power, the first mature applications of AWD in motorsport and ultra-lightweight, exotic materials are the things our dreams are made of.

To quote Clarkson one last time, "You see, unlike any other machine that has been mothballed or donated to a museum, Concorde has not been replaced with something better or faster." With the exception of the Group B cars, Jeremy. Think we're being a bit dramatic? The Bugatti Veyron, with its 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine, four turbochargers, 1,000+ horsepower, Cray supercomputer and million-dollar price tag hits 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The Ford RS200's 0-60 mph time was 2.1 seconds, you guessed it, in the dirt. Sigh...

Audi Quattro S1

Audi is of course the granddaddy of Group B. Because the class hardly had any rules, Audi was free to introduce AWD (with a little help from Jensen) to the world in 1980. The results were epoch making and are still being felt today. However, at first there was much doubt whether a heavy and complicated AWD system would be stout enough for rallying. Audi won its first rally on its first attempt by nine minutes. From that moment on, there was no doubt at all about AWD. Other manufacturers struggled to get AWD cars of their own into production.

The Quattro did very well in the early 1980s, including a win by Michèle Mouton, the first woman to win an international rally. While the initial Quattro had an AWD advantage over the competition, it was too heavy, too complicated and handled rather poorly. In 1983 other manufacturers began making huge strides and even though it was still RWD, Lancia's 037 won the constructor's title.

Audi fought back in 1984 with the Sport Quattro. Power was up to over 450 hp. The Sport did retain its monocoque chassis (as opposed to most of the competitions' tubular frames) but was re-skinned in fancy kevlar. The gearbox gained a gear (from five to six) and most important, almost 13 inches were chopped out of the wheelbase, giving the Sport Quattro massively improved handling. One of the greatest hoons of all time, Stig Blomqvist, even took to driving the car sideways. Audi won the both the constructor's title and the driver's championship.

1985 saw the introduction of Peugeot's 205 TI6 (more on that in a bit). To fight this French monster, Audi released the devilish Sport Quattro S1. Long story short, its 2.1-liter inline five produced over 600 horsepower and had massive wings festooned all over the place to provide downforce. Although the S1 was too heavy (and too front-engined) to fully be competitive in Group B, Michèle Mouton drove an S1 up Pike's Peak. Not only did she win outright, but she set a record in the process. The next year Bobby Unser drove an S1 up Pike's Peak, also winning outright and setting a record. The next year Walter Röhrl did the exact same thing. And Audi wasn't even warmed up. Legend has it Audi worked up a 1000 hp engine that it tested in several hillclimbs, but drivers deemed it too batshit insane to drive. We can't even imagine.

Ford RS200

Arguably the best looking of all the Killer Bs, the Ford RS200 was and is totally mad. And out of all these rally studs, we like the RS200 homologation the best. It's not only fierce, but also rare. Seeing one is like stumbling on a leprechaun. The RS200 represented Ford's second, more serious attempt at Group B. Its first rather botched attempt was the Escort RS 1700T. Details are sketchy as to what went wrong; most references indicate, "troubled development," sometimes followed by "complete disaster." However, even without specifics, I imagine trying to get a front-wheel-drive economy car to run with an Audi Quattro in 1983 would be troubling and disastrous.

Not so with the RS200. Much of the development was outsourced. Tony Southgate designed and Reliant built the space-frame chassis. The kevlar body was designed by Ghia and constructed by Reliant, which had considerable expertise with composites. The RS200 featured AWD with adjustable torque split, a Group B first. Without stopping the car, the driver could rout all the power to the rear wheels, choose a 37/63 front-to-rear split or go for 50/50. The RS200 employed three viscous couplings to make this possible. It also had a mid-engine layout and dual-shocks at each corner. Legendary F1-er Bryan Hart tuned the 16-valve, turbocharged 2137 cc BDT-E Cosworth engine to at least 550 hp, and some claim as much as 800 hp. In reality, the RS200s probably competed at 650 hp.

Under the RS200's Kevlar Hood. Clock the Dual Shocks

Regardless, 60 mph arrived in a hair over two seconds, depending upon the gearing. In fact, two separate RS200 Evolutions hit 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds, which is basically two seconds flat to 60 mph. That is ludicrous. More important (to the drivers), the RS200 was extremely tough and faired well in crash tests. The only drawback was that all that overbuilding meant the Ford was heavier than its competition. Extra pounds coupled with horrid turbo lag meant the RS200 had to be beaten with a go-faster stick. And that's fine by us. Plus, if you watch the video, it shot fire out of its tail pipe constantly. That's even finer by us.

Lancia Delta S4

Like the rest of the competitors, Lancia got caught with its pants down when Audi arrived with its mean, old Sport Quattro. In 1983 the rear-drive Lancia 037, predecessor to the S4, managed to hold off Audi (Lancia had Walter Röhrl at the wheel and somehow the Italian car was much more reliable than the fancy-pants German). But by 1984 competition was just too stiff for the mid-engined 037. Lancia had to make a move. And boy, did they.

The Delta S4 is the rally car Vincent van Gogh would have driven. Mid-engined, all-wheel-drive, extra-light, all that stuff. But what sets the S4 apart and always makes us smile is its compound charging. In order to fight off the nasty effects of turbo lag on twisty, hairpin dirt courses, the Delta S4's 1759 cc engine was both supercharged and turbocharged. Developed with Fiat's tuning shop Abarth, this lag-free set up screamed out at least 550 hp from a 1.8-liter four banger. And, like all these cars, the actual output come race day was most likely higher, if not much higher.

Lack of displacement did affect torque output, and that meant that the Delta S4 could "only" accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. On gravel. We're laughing just typing. Point being, this was the first compound charged engine ever raced, and the S4 was one of the most advanced cars ever built. Lancia and the Delta S4 finished 1-2 in the 1985 RAC Rally. The 1986 campaign looked to be much more of the same, but then Henri Toivonen tragically crashed his Delta S4 and the gas tanks blew, killing him and effectively ending Group B forever. Still, what a brilliant maniac of a vehicle it was.

Peugeot 205 TI6

How can you not love a car nicknamed L'enfant terrible? Right, in good faith, you can't. Like the other cars mentioned, Peugeot's Group B entry followed the winning formula. Or in this case developed the winning formula. Mid-engine, lightweight composite body, AWD, a space-frame chassis and turbo power out both the ying yang and wazoo. And, even in the face of more powerful competition, the 205 T16 constantly won races.

Unlike the R200 and Delta S4, the 205 T16 was based upon the econobox 205. Only they tossed the engine in the trunk (er, backseat) and swapped out every component. Visually it maintained the hatchback aesthetic first laid down by Giugiaro's Golf. As a result, fans loved the 205 because it looked as if the scrappy little grocery-getting David was stoning all the tweaked out Goliaths dead. During the 1986 season, with competitors' offerings turned up past 11, Peugeot's little pugilist punched above its weight and beat them all. The 205 T16 then went on to dominate Pike's Peak and win Paris-Dakar. If we were to be honest with ourselves, we would admit that the Peugeot 205 T16 is probably the greatest car raced last century. Too bad it's so funny looking.

A Note About Our Selection Process:
Davey G points out that like in Can Am, there are no bad Group B cars. Yes, we did leave off the Renault R5, the Manta 400 and the Rover 6R4. And we did so purposely, because the four cars you will be voting on in a moment stood so much taller than the rest of the admittedly awesome competition.

The elephant in the room is Porsche's legendary 959. We made the decision not to include it in this week's nomination for a number of reasons. One is that people (i.e. you) tend to love the 959 so much as to skew the results. It would be like trying to convince certain people quarter-mile time is not the ultimate performance measure. We'd be talking to a wall.

The other main reason is Porsche's dirty little secret: the 959 couldn't compete. Not in the rallies at any rate. Other manufacturers had too many years' head start. Remember, the 959 ran in the 1985 Paris-Dakar (actually, it also ran in 1984 with a few 911s pumped up to 959 spec) and again in 1986. But Porsche wisely didn't bother with Group B competition and the race was off for 1987, which only added to the 959's legend. Will the 959 make it into the Fantasy Garage? Pope. Shit. Woods. Also, had the 1987 season happened, Ferrari may have entered the 288 GTO. Chew on that for a while.

One more thing before you vote. We decided to go heavy with the videos this week because in the words of Han Solo, these cars, "may not be much too look at, but [they] got it where it counts." Thanks for reading. – Jonny Lieberman

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

[The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage appears every Tuesday. Readers vote the cars in or out. The idea is that we'll have 50 cars in our Fantasy Garage, the world's greatest mechanic and endless wads of cash. Would you like to nominate a car for the Fantasy Garage? Write tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "Fantasy."]

The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So Far:
RUF RT12 | Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT | 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM | Porsche 928 | Jensen FF | DeTomaso Vallelunga

Related:
Crowning the King of 1970: Buick GSX vs Chevy Chevelle SS. vs Olds 442 vs Pontiac GTO Judge; Oh, Group B, How We Miss You; The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage [Internal]

Rally legend-in-waiting Colin McRae's own rally car, the R4, made its public debut in racing trim at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK this weekend. The car was first seen at last year's Goodwood event, and McRae says it's suitable for rallying rallycross, ice racing and circuit racing, in addition to general non-street hoonage. McRae designed the R4's chassis along with and Dave Plant of motorsports development firm DJM. No word on when (or for whom) the R4 will see competition, though a good bet is the Race of Champions next year. But first, a good flog is likely in the offing; McRae says he's yet to drive it more than 20 miles. (Specs after the jump.) [Photos by Tom Newis] – Mike Spinelli

Colin McRae's car is R4some [The Sun (UK)]

Related:
Atkinson on Atkinson Action: Comedian, Rallyist to Face off at GoodwoodMcrae's Rally Car Debuts at Goodwood 2006 [internal]

Technical Specifications

Chassis:
· Designed by Colin McRae and Dave Plant
· Built by DJM Race Preparation
· Steel safety cage throughout
· Carbon paneling front and rear
· Steel covered cockpit area

Suspension:
· Twin wishbone with Proflex dampers

Body:
· Design by Keith Burden and Tom Webster

Engine:
· Normally aspirated 4 cylinder / 2,5 litre Millington Diamond Engine producing 350 BHP

Drivetrain:
· Option for 2 or 4 wheel drive format
· Mechanical front and rear differentials
· Option for a mechanical or active central differential
· Six-speed dog box with manual or semi-automatic gear change

Though we can read neither Dutch nor Czech, we can still ascertain this new Skoda Fabia rally car's vitals by a combination of online translator, parsing of universal symbols and scratching our heads over the letter ž. It's a new rally monster, a joint project between Czech spark-plug company Brisk and the UK's Prodrive, dubbed RS 01 WRC. The 2,200-pound Fabia employs VW/Audi's corporate 2.0 TFSI engine, only tweaked up to 500 hp at 7,800 rpm and 443 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm. Zero to 62 mph comes up in 2.7 seconds, which should make it quite a hit on the gravel. No word on potential rally-team clients, but we wouldn't mind seeing one of these buggers in traffic. Did someone say 500-hp Rabbit? – Mike Spinelli

Skoda Fabia rallymonster [Autovisie]

Related:
Drink Beer in Moldova! Drive a Fabia! [internal]

Working the hot, dry, gravely, south-of-the-border conditions of the Corona Rally Mexico 2007, France's Sebasti n Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena rolled to a repeat victory. The two dominated the rally, nearly from the start, taking the lead when Petter Solberg's Impreza lost its oil and he was eliminated. Most rally watchers say it was definitely the safety sombrero that gave him the edge. – Mike Spinelli

Loeb romps to Rally Mexico victory [Motorsport.com]

Related:
2007 Corona Rally Mexico, Leg One [internal]

Wrapping up the Corona Rally Mexico's first leg in the country's Central Highlands, it's France's Sebastien Loeb in first, Australia's Chris Atkinson and Mikko Hirvonen in third — he of Finnish origin ending the leg on the podium after a major push from the back of the pack. Norway's Petter Solberg had led the first three stages before an oil leak forced him out for good. The great American hope, Travis Pastrana, making his WRC debut this weekend, finished in a respectable 17th. Bittorrent watch starts now. – Mike Spinelli

[Corona Rally Mexico]

Rally Mexico: Ford leg one summary [Motorsport.com]

Related:
Norway Rally Update, Final [internal]

Sometimes when you're rallying through the countryside, you underestimate a corner and make a mistake that ends your day. Sometimes that day ends with a broken car, sometimes it ends with a trip to the hospital. Enjoy one of each.– Ben Wojdyla

P.S. You know the Subie driver feels a lot better about his day after the Peugeot pwnage.

Related:
Hoon of the Weekend: WRC Drivers!! [internal]

It was a sweep for Ford Foci in the Norway rally, as Finn Mikko Hirvonen prevailed at the end of Leg 3 earlier today. In second was BP-Ford teammate Marcus Gr nholm. Some rally folk had speculated Ford would pressure Hirvonen to throw the race for Gr nholm, to give his fellow Finn the extra Championship points. But such talk went silent when Hirvonen retained the lead and claimed victory in the end. The Swedish Norwegian Solberg brothers swapped places for third, with Ford-pilot Henning outrunning the favored Petter and his Subaru. – Mike Spinelli

Ford clean up and Henning beats Petter to the podium [Rally Norway]

Related:
Norway Rally Update, First Leg, Second Leg [internal]

With Frenchman Sebasti n Loeb down eight minutes after ditching into a snowbank early in Leg 2 of the Norway Rally, the racing day became a Finn-to-Finn shootout. In the end, Marcus Gr nholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen were short 19.3 seconds to countrymen Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen. Apparently it's been quite the battle, particularly special stage 13, during which Gr nholm ended a hair under 0.3 seconds behind Hirvonen. The Solberg brothers Petter and Henning battled for third, with Petter ending Leg 2 9.9 seconds ahead. [NOTE: Get your Google Earth map of the Norway Rally here.] – Mike Spinelli

Marcus or Mikko - which Finn will fly? [Rally Norway]

Related:
Norway Rally Update, First Leg [internal]

It was the second week of driving on ice and snow for WRC drivers, as the first Norway Rally kicked off in the lake region of Hamar. At the first day's end, it was Finn Mikko Hirvonen (1:24:39.0) leading with a 15.5-second advantage over Ford teammate Marcus Gr nholm after eight special stages. France's Sebasti n Loeb again drew the spotlight by placing third, one spot behind his 2007 season nemesis, whom he leads by two points. Local talent Petter Solberg placed fourth in his Subaru. Leg 2 Preview: Loeb's out. He hit a snow bank during SS12 (the ski jump stadium stage), and it took him 8 minutes to get free. – Mike Spinelli

Norway Rally - Citroen WRC Rally Leg 1 Recap - Loeb Third [Paddock Talk]

[Rally Norway]

Related:
More WRC [internal]

Not unexpectedly, Marcus Gr nholm and human nav system Timo Rautiainen dominated the Swedish Rally right up to the last four-wheel drift. No amount of shotgunning by S bastien Loeb could pull him closer than second — a bad tire choice costing a crucial 20 seconds in an earlier stage. The win marked Gr nholm's fifth in Sweden. In third was fellow Finn Mikko Hirvonen. Next stop, Norway, which as Gr nholm says is, "a bit different and no one knows it." That's probably just the imported, duty-free celebratory hooch talking. – Mike Spinelli

Gronholm wins fifth Swedish Rally [Stuff.co.nz]

Related:
2007 Uddeholm Swedish Rally, First Leg [internal]

Finland's WRC star Marcus Gr nholm finished leg one of the Uddeholm Swedish Rally on top. But his pesky nemesis, Sebasti n Loeb hogged the spotlight with a logic-defying salvation of his day's racing. After stalling during yesterdays's Super Special Stage, Loeb sprinted back to second from 21st, the Citro n pilot winding up just 12 seconds behind Gr nholm, despite treacherous winter conditions. Swedish homeboy Norwegian Petter Solberg took third, just 11 seconds behind Loeb, with brother Henning finishing fourth in his Stobart Ford, edging out Mikko Hirvonen. That's not to say Gr nholm didn't put on a show. The Finnish farmer's boy set three fastest stage times in his BP-Ford Focus. More to come. – Mike Spinelli

Swedish Rally: Leg one summary [Motorsport.com]

Related:
2007 Monte Carlo Rally [internal]

WRC rallyest, Petter Solberg may have placed no higher than sixth in this past weekend's Monte Carlo Rally, but we hear his trademark hoonage made him quite the crowd favorite during the final superspecial on the streets of Monaco. In lieu of proper Monte Carlo clips from that round, we present footage from a shakedown session of Solberg's 2007 Subaru WRX Rally Car. Some Monte Carlo goodness — to the strains of Europe's "The Final Countdown" (what else?) after the jump. [Thanks to Jarrod for the tip.]

Related:
Monte Carlo Rally: It's Over [internal]

And just like that, it's over — not that victory for S bastien Loeb (r) and navigator Daniel Elena (l) at this year's Monte Carlo Rally was ever seriously in jeopardy. The two prevailed, even despite some hardcore heel-nipping by Citroen teammate Dani Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti — who displayed a tenacity that could outshine the champeen Loebster this season. As for third-place Marcus Gr nholm, better luck in Sweden. MVP to the Chris Atkinson, who took Ford-BP's Mikko Hirvonen in the final shootout on the Monaco streets to leapfrog into fourth place.– Mike Spinelli

Loeb eases to Monte Carlo victory [BBC Sport]

Related:
Monte Carlo Rally: Leg 3 Recap [internal]

"We played it safe and we content ourselves to manage our leadership," said Sebastien Loeb, who — with navigator Daniel Elena — dominated the third leg of the Monte Carlo Rally today. Ford-BP's Marcus Gr nholm and navigator Timo Rautiainen remained in third — 1:23 behind Loeb, whose Citroen teammate, Spain's Daniel Sordo, trailed by 31 seconds — as the cars returned to service in Valance. Tomorrow's superspecial stage pits trailing drivers against each other (20th v. 19th, and so on), leading up a head-to-head between the top-classified drivers. Apparently Citroen's beaucoup of rallybux is already paying dividends, but does this mean WRC 2007 become as predictable as F1: The Ferrari Years? All signs point to "oui." (Click through for a short clip from Leg 2.) – Mike Spinelli

Loeb holds lead in Monte Carlo Rally [International Herald Tribune]

Related:
Monte Carlo Rally: Leg 2 Recap [internal]

Marcus Gr nholm never really had a chance. As the Citroen C4s piloted by Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Sordo swapped places several times through the first legs of the Monte Carlo Rally, the BP-Ford World Rally Team driver (and last year's Monte Carlo winner) languished between 36 seconds and just over 1:15 behind the French/Spanish teammates. In the end — over 93.8 miles worth of paved switchback — Loeb and navigator Daniel Elena won out, despite clipping a wall on the St-Pierreville to Antraigues stage. Leg three, tomorrow. – Mike Spinelli

Monte Carlo Rally, Official Site; Loeb battles teammate Sordo at season-opening Monte Carlo Rally [International Herald Tambourine]

Related:
Jalopnik Question of the Day: How Do You Plan to Watch WRC? [internal]

Oh this one's bound to be a squeaker. Daniel Sordo and teammate Sebastien Loeb are trading leads in their new Citroen C4s, while two-time champeen Marcus Gronholm, in his Ford Focus, is trailing Loeb by just over a half-minute. Must be exciting to watch — only we have to read about it in the freaking International Herald Tribune, because TV is Nascar country. That brings us to the question of the day. Where are you watching, or more likely, how are you keeping track of the the WRC season kickoff Monte Carlo Rally? (Anyone watching Rally Live?) Sound off below.

Loeb defends lead at season-opening Monte Carlo Rally [International Herald Trombone]

Related:
More on WRC

We participated in a rally once. Christ it was awful. No, it wasn't a WRC style affair with mud bogs, suicidal fans and ten-foot jumps. In fact, our wheels never left tarmac, let alone the earth. You see we took part in our local rally club's weekend event. It worked thusly; we showed up, paid three-dollars (or whatever), were given insanely, unnecessarily complex directions that ran us in circles all over the Los Angeles basin and (quite) eventually wound up at the Tommy's in Valencia where we watched in horror as the socially inept and morbidly obese feasted on triple chili-cheeseburgers while being given awards for the night's efforts. We placed fifth of seven in the beginner/moron division. Jump (like above) for more.

See, the trouble was, what we were doing was not racing like we thought but rallying. Which means that you lose points not only for being late to a checkpoint, but for being early. Meaning that if the clipboard said, "Go 7.2 miles at 45mph," they docked us for keeping up with traffic. Which was dull. It probably also didn't help that our "navigator" flung the instructions in the back seat out of frustration. Repeatedly. Why do we mention this? Because Top Gear just published a handy guide to WRC and we were shocked to learn that the drivers must shuttle themselves between stages in their firebreathing hoon-mobiles, obeying all the rules of the road. Ha! – Jonny Lieberman

World Rally Championship: a guide [Top Gear]

Related:
Super-Duper Hoonage Potential; Suzuki To Take On WRX & EVO [Internal]

Talk about information that makes us happy. Here's the gist; Suzuki is going to have an entry in the 2008 WRC. Due to the rule that exists in the form of homologation, Japan's suddenly upstart automaker has to let us run what they brung. Details are both sketchy and speculative at the moment, but here's what we think we know. The new street rally car will be built off the already impressive SX4 chassis. Unlike the SX4, the new car will feature full-time AWD. The body will resemble the WRC entry above. Power will come from slapping a turbo to the SX4's semi-gutsy 2.0L DOHC unit. How much power? Jump baby, jump!

Teh internets seems a bit confused about the actual output. Australian carsguide.com.au is claming 150Kw (about 200 horses) while American insideline.com is quoting 320hp and 470 motherloving foot pounds of rotation! Though, that might only be for the actual rally car. We're guessing that if Suzuki is serious about competing with streetable EVOs, power will be in the 250 to 285hp range. If they're not, then the 150Kw guesstimate is probably closer to the truth. Having driven the SX4, and if the latter is the "truth," we can say with certainty that an extra 60 ponies would be a very, very welcome thing. Suzuki: do it, do it now! 2009 is cool, too. [All praise due to Nino for the tips] – Jonny Lieberman

Suzuki SX4 rally compact for WRC [carsguide.com.au]; More: Suzuki SX4 WRC Concept [motorpaison]; More: Suzuki to Enter 2007 World Rally Championship With New SX4 [Inside Line]; More: Suzuki targets WRX, Lancer Evo [smh.com.au]

Related:
American Suzuki is 23% More Better in 2006 [Internal]

We absolutely hate nu-metal. Or rapcore. Or "Wah!! Mommy didn't love me and daddy wasn't around to beat me enough" wuss crap. Whatever it's called, Korn, Linkin Park (sorry Brad), Mudvayne, Limp Bizkit and any other faux-angst, misspelled suburban dork troupes can simply go away and stop making us sad. Though, we did take a Super Shuttle to LAX with Korn's keyboard player and he (despite wearing his hat like Plaxico Burress) was a very cool dude. Regardless, the meshugenuh moves the drivers in the above video make are enough to... you thought we were going to say "like nu metal," didn't you? In fact, we were going to say, "Not press mute." Sit back and enjoy the flaming sub-compacts. – Jonny LIeberman

Related:
Hoon of the Day: TTAC Reader Ronan Hits 330kph in Norway. Twice!; More: Hoons of the Day: Lada Stunt Team [Internal]

Oh, to be a rally privateer in the vast expanse of Australia. Subaru's offering rallyists down under a pretty sweet menu of Impreza models to satisfy their multiform competitive needs, minus the croc wrestling. The cars come in various stages of tune and suspension setup, from a basic motorsports package (mainly safety gear), on up to a kitted-out Group N—ready WRC sled — and a few niche setups in between, from tarmac-only to gravel-ready. Good times. – Mike Spinelli

Subaru Impreza Production WRC Available to Public (AU) [World Car Fans]

Related:
In Memoriam: Subaru Offers Hero-Edition Impreza in the UK [internal]

To most rally watchers, Suzuki building a car for the World Rally Championship is like Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san throwing down with the US National Karate Team. Nonetheless, the company is planning an all-wheel-drive rally car based on the SX4 compact hatch. It'll have a de rigeur 2.0-liter turbocharged mill, producing around 201 horsepower, and may influence plans to produce a road-going rival to the WRXs and Evos of the world. The decision to build a showroom version likely rides on the quantity of Subaru and Mitsubishi (and Citroen) ass the rally car kicks during the 2008 WRC season. Can a small hatch even do the crane stance?

Related:
Spy Photos: 2008 Suzuki SX4 Sedan; New Suzuki Models to Show up in New York [internal]

[Photo Courtesy of Subaru]

Related:
Rallying Becomes an X Game [internal]
Pastrana Gets a Factory Ride from Subaru [internal]

If you're waiting anxiously for Mitsubishi to launch its new WRC car for 2006, you'd better just grab an OxyContin and a bottle of Old Grand Dad and make an evening of it. The company is giving up on the 2006 rally season to get its financial ducks in a row. The company announced today it was suspending participation in the FIA World Rally Championship until at least 2008 so it can "focus management resources" on its three-year revitalization plan. (Mitsu is still participating in the 2006 Paris-Dakar.) Still, the company hasn't won a manufacturers' title since 1998, nor a drivers' title since 1999, so maybe a break will give it a chance to get its shie e together. Press release after the jump.

Press Release:
Mitsubishi Motors to Suspend Participation in the FIA World Rally
Championship Series.

— Starting with an overall championship in the Safari Rally in 1974, the Mitsubishi WRC Team has accomplished a spectacular 34 wins in the WRC series. The team won the drivers' title 4 consecutive years from 1996 to 1999, and won the prestigious manufacturers' title in 1998.

Related:
Ford Launches New WRC Focus in Bologna [internal]

At the Bologna auto show in Italy earlier today, Ford of Europe unveiled its new Focus RS World Rally Car for 2006 — a ground-up undertaking to replace its previous car, of 2002 vintage. The new car is based on the Focus ST ( that we've been drooling over from afar since the Geneva motor show last March), in collaboration between Ford's Team Rally Sport and UK motorsports firm M-Sport. TeamRS technical director Christian Loriaux says the cars will be faster and just as reliable as its predecessor, with more downforce, an entirely new body shell and roll cage, and a lighter, Cosworth-built 2.0-liter Duratec 'R' engine providing more top-end power. The car will make its racing debut at the Monte Carlo Rally in January.

More at Dubspeed Driven

Related:
Creating a Rally Car: A Garage-Eye View [internal]

Rally co-driver Michael "Beef" Park was killed in an accident today during the Wales Rally Great Britain, when his Peugeot 307 piloted by teammate Markko Martin slammed into a tree — predominately on the passenger side — during the race's stage 15. Martin was reportedly uninjured. Park, 39, of Newent, Gloucestershire, UK, had been on the championship rally circuit since 1994, first co-driving for Mark Higgins, then for Martin with the Subaru, Ford and most recently Peugeot teams. The race's remaining stages were cancelled, though calling of the winner was complicated by the tragedy: Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm withdrew, meaning Citroen's Sebastian Loeb would have retained his world title — had Loeb not deliberately threw the race in deference to Park, leaving Subaru's Petter Solberg as world title rally winner.

Wales Rally GB

Subaru is the first automaker to broadcast its plans for the Frankfurt motor show in total. Kicking off its redesigned 2006 Impreza line (you know, those pignose/Alfa Romero lookers) by unveiling a replica of its WRC Prototype (pictured) — pending FIA homologation — the newest model destined to be raced by the Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT). The company is also showing the rest of its Impreza line, redesigned Forester, US-spec Tribeca B9 (watch for a Jalopnik review coming soon), Legacy Models, and European Justy minicar.

Related:
Subaru to Offer Overnight Test Drives; Subaru s Tiny R1, Now With an I ; Subaru Unveils 2006 Impreza in the US [internal]